Strategies to enhance child mental health care services by medical doctors in general hospitals of Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

One in five children, including adolescents, suffer from mental health disorders while facing limited opportunities for treatment and recovery. The purpose of this study was to develop strategies to enhance child mental health care services provided by medical doctors in general hospitals of Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study was conducted in two phases. A qualitative approach was employed in this study, using a descriptive, exploratory, and contextual design. In phase one, a situational analysis was conducted through purposive sampling of 15 medical doctors from eight selected general hospitals in the Waterberg and Capricorn Districts. A semi-structured interview guide was used to conduct in-depth, one-on-one interviews. Data were analysed following six phases of thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke. Ethical considerations were adhered to in conducting this study. Two themes emerged from data analysis, namely challenges experienced by medical doctors providing child mental health care services and the strategies to enhance child mental health care services. Trustworthiness ensured through the following measures: credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability. Ethical considerations were adhered to, including obtaining ethical clearance, informed consent, confidentiality, and anonymity of participants. The outcome in phase one formed the basis for phase two, which developed strategies to enhance child mental health care services in Limpopo Province using the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis and the Building, Overcome, Explore and Minimize (BOEM) framework. A panel of academic experts in qualitative research and mental health validated the developed strategies using Chinn and Kramer’s framework.